Amelia Unabridged: A Novel

4.5 stars — Well, I’m in a glass case of emotion. I’m not saying the whole book was a cryfest, but I am saying that I cried forcefully on several occasions. But for me, that’s not a bad thing. In fact, for a debut book I think it’s kind of an awesome thing. I shouldn’t have been surprised by all the emotion, the book quite clearly deals with a lot of grief. But it was the way that Ms. Schumacher described that grief, and showcased it in Amelia that really got to me. I will admit that, from the blurb, I was somewhat concerned about what happened between Amelia and Jenna wrt the author and stuff. I expected characters making mean decisions or something, or the fight being nasty. If anyone else is worried about that, you can set your worries aside. There was a lot to that whole encounter, and while it was tough, I was relieved that I didn’t dislike anyone as a result of what happened. I can’t say more than that, but yeah. The writing in this one was both out there and delightful. Sometimes I had a hard time understanding Amelia and her imagination…let’s just say my imagination is not as good. I wasn’t quite sure what it all meant. But I can’t tell you how many things I highlighted, b/c they were beautiful or profound or both. Despite not always understanding all that made Amelia tick, I easily connected with her. She was earnest, kind, fun, quirky…but she also had a lot of young adult moments that can make a person feel frustrated. I felt for how torn she was in her life, about what she wanted out of it. And my god, I felt her grief to my bones. Nolan and Alex and Val and Wally and all the crazy characters of Lochbrook brought weird shades of colour I wasn’t expecting. I loved the relationships that were developed, and the fun mixed with emotional upheaval. I loved that we got both a tiny love story and significant friendships. The stories that were told here were actually quite unexpected for me, and just really added to Amelia’s journey. All in all this one took a lot out of me, but also gave so much back.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was so fortunate to be able to receive an advanced copy of this book. I quickly knew this would be one of my top 5 reads of 2020. Amelia's dad has decided he wants a new life - with a new girlfriend. One that doesn't include Amelia and her mom. When he leaves, Amelia visits the one place she knows will make her feel better - her local bookstore. There she meets Jenna, a schoolmate she's never talked to, who buys her a book and invites her over. There she becomes immersed with the world of Orman, and a friendship with Jenna blossoms. Fastforward to senior year. Jenna and Amelia have their first fight, semi-make up, then Jenna is killed in a freak accident in Ireland. In the throws of agony, Amelia is surprised to receive a package, especially when it's a special edition of her favorite book. Edition 101, which shouldn't exist. She then travels to the bookstore it came from to find out who sent it. She thinks it's Jenna trying to speak to her from the grave. While there, she finds more than she bargained for. If I had to describe this book in 3 words, I would say it was heavy, whimsical and lyrical. This is some heavy subject matter, especially during this pandemic. Books about death are hard to read right now, but there is an undercurrent of hope throughout. This book was so whimsical in the way it was written. There were so many book references, comparisons to books. It was just really lovely to read. The writing was lyrical and seemed to flow seamlessly. It was so easy to envision what the writer was trying to portray. I loved the characters. Amelia was very real, her grief felt real. I just wanted to hug her. Endsley was a grow to love character for me, but by the end I adored him. Val was so entertaining and Alex honestly just seemed like a necessary third wheel. At first, I didn't like the love story, but by the end I was shipping them. This book is about so much more than a love story. It's about becoming yourself and learning to live with grief. 5/5 stars.

Sometimes if you are very lucky, fate or the book gods lead you to a read that maybe you would not discover otherwise, and it is truly a blessing. That is exactly how I feel about this book. I have so many feelings about this astounding story and nowhere near enough skill to share them adequately. The whole basis of this touching tale is firmly based on realistic things such as friendship, jealousy, anger loss, grief, regret, endurance, love and the incredible effects that they can and do have in all of our lives. It is tragic, powerful, painful, heartbreaking, emotional and beautiful. Whether you actually are a young adult reader or someone that is older, I think you will feel a visceral connection to Amelia's poignant journey. Do be prepared though because if you are like me, this read is going to wreck you emotionally but it is absolutely worth the workout your heat and tear ducts are going to get. All of the thoughts and opinions in this review are my own and freely posted.